What Not to Do

I should really, really know better. And I should definitely know by now that I need to listen to that small voice in the back of my head.

I have a custom order for some fused glass plates that I have been working on. I put them in the kiln yesterday, and because I really, really wanted to make sure that these came out perfectly, I decided to slow down my firing schedule. After some research and careful review of my schedules, I chose a very conservative firing schedule. Somewhere in the back of my head was a teeny tiny voice that said, “Are you sure you want to try a new firing schedule without testing it first?” But I pushed that thought out of my head. What could possibly go wrong? It’s a much slower firing schedule than I have used before so it could only be better right?

Wrong!

When I opened the kiln today, the plates actually came out perfectly except for some areas that had a cloudy look. It’s called devitrification and is the bane of fused glass artists. It is something I usually don’t have problems with expect when I’m working with recycled glass. Oh well, I’m glad I invested in the sandblaster last year. Tomorrow I’ll sandblast the surface and then refire it.